Tech center will adapt funding to independence

On Town Meeting Day, some towns will see a change in the way they fund River Valley Technical Center.

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Tech center will adapt funding to independence
By Josh O'Gorman Herald Staff - Published: February 29, 2008

SPRINGFIELD — On Town Meeting Day, some towns will see a change in the way they fund River Valley Technical Center.

On July 1, 2007, RVTC became its own school district, said RVTC Director Carl Mock, requiring the school's budget to be listed separately on each town's ballot.

This year's proposed RVTC budget is $2,962,160, an increase of $309,217, or 11.7 percent over this year's $2,652,943 budget.

Mock was quick to point out while the budget might be increasing by 11.7 percent, the taxpayer portion of the budget is going to increase by about half that.

Mock said the budget has two components: the local contribution and money raised through grants and adult education funding. This year, grant and adult education funding is rising $156,811, or 81.7 percent, from $191,834 to $348,645.

Taking the grant and adult education components out of the current and proposed budgets, the increase is $152,406, or 6.2 percent, from $2,461,109 to $2,613,515.

Mock said the increase is because of rising salaries and benefits, including a projected 7 percent increase in health insurance costs.

Mock also said half a teacher's position, which had been funded by a Perkins Grant, is now part of the general budget.

Prior to last July, Mock said, RVTC's budget was contained with the budget of the Springfield School District, which hosts RVTC at Springfield High School. In the past, the Springfield School District would then charge tuition to the high school district that represented the student's community of residence, with the tuition coming from the high school's budget.

Following this year's budget vote, Mock said, RVTC will generate an assessment to the high school districts based on average enrollment over three years rather than individual tuition.

RVTC has four member districts: Springfield High School and Bellows Falls, Black River and Green Mountain union high school districts.

Bellows Falls' and Green Mountain's proposed assessments are increasing while Black River's and Springfield High School's assessments are expected to decrease.

Bellows Falls' proposed assessment would increase $12,049 or 4.9 percent, from $246,676 to $258,725.

Green Mountain's assessment would increase slightly, from $274,420 to $275,727, an increase of $1,307 or one-half of 1 percent.

Black River's assessment would decrease $15,608 or 9.6 percent, from $163,345 to $147,737.

Springfield High School would decrease $32,899 or 4.9 percent, from $669,363 to $636,464.

Mock said RVTC has 340 students, most of whom are juniors and seniors. There are some freshman and sophomores who are taking "pre-tech" courses, or one-hour intro courses, Mock said.

Mock said adults make up about 3 percent of his student body, with off-site students attending via Internet making up another 5 percent.

In addition to the contractors' trades of carpentry, plumbing and electrical work that have long been staples of vocational education, Mock said the RVTC offers classes in culinary arts, electronic and audio engineering, horticulture, business management and health care.

"I think technical education is an excellent opportunity for kids," Mock said. "This is not the old-fashioned vocational education that people might remember." http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802290345